1. Incorporation by Reference
Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents and printed matter cited or referred to in this application.
2. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to covers or blankets for machines, boats, cars and such, and more particularly to such a cover having a set of electrically conductive stitches on one side so that an electrical shock is received by an animal coming into contact with the cover.
3. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Robinson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,854 describes an installation for repelling birds from a roosting surface comprising: a source of electrical power; a unitary electrical cable comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinal conductors separated by an elongated body of insulating material therebetween, the cross-sectional dimensions of said cable being such that the cable is utilizable as a perch for birds, an elongated surface on each of said conductors being free of covering insulating material to be exposed along a major portion of the length of said cable, the spacing between the exposed portions of said conductors being such as to always provide a current path primarily through a foot of a bird perched on said cable because of simultaneous contact between each conductor and apposed digits on the single foot of the bird; means for supporting said conductors in a substantially horizontal plane to promote the simultaneous contact between each conductor and apposed digits on a single foot of a bird perched on said cable; and means connecting said conductors to said power source.
Bayes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,048 describes an electrical device for mass exterminating of objectable pest birds, such as starlings or the like; the device including an overhead cable supported between posts, the cable carrying a plurality of spaced-apart copper electrodes along its outer side, so that, when a horde of pest birds try to land upon the wire by their toes straddling it, they close an electric circuit between the electrodes, which are connected to a power source, so that the birds are thus electrocuted.
Djukastein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,216 describes a device for discouraging small domestic or wild animals from frequenting areas where they may become a nuisance. The device comprises a mat made of non-conductive material to be spread over the area. A plurality of conductive surfaces are spaced on the upper surface of the mat so that adjacent conductive surfaces are electrically insulated from each other. An electric control is associated with the conductive surfaces and provides electric power thereto so that when an animal walks on the mat its body completes a circuit between live and ground areas on the mat and the animal is thereby provided with an unpleasant electrical sensation.
Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,418 describes an apparatus and method for training animals having active and passive components. The animal is trained to avoid entering an area by a mild shock which the animal received when it treads on a visible interdigital array. Eventually the animal is deterred by viewing the array alone and the shocking means is removed. The visible array can be supplemented with electroluminescent, olfactory or audio stimuli.
Dickey, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,360 describes a vehicle cover including a sheet of flexible material for covering and protecting at least the upper portion of the vehicle, a securing band coupled with the sheet adjacent the edge thereof, and a preferred ratchet for releasably tightening the band about the periphery of the vehicle below a portion of the vehicle presenting a greater periphery. The band is sufficiently tightened to prevent slipping over the greater periphery and can be locked in the tightened position in order to prevent unauthorized intrusion into the vehicle.
Hinrichs, U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,285 describes a sea bird marine craft protector having an elevated protector net for preventing sea birds, such as sea gulls and the like, from landing on deck and superstructure of a marine craft and supports or struts for supporting and elevating the protector net above the deck and above the superstructure. The sea bird marine craft protector has fasteners for fastening the protector net to a rail on the deck and fasteners on stern of the marine craft, for pulling the protector net taut, and for maintaining the protector net at a minimum height above the deck and the superstructure. Additionally, the sea bird marine craft protector has strut support mounts, which are mounted on port deck and starboard deck of the marine craft, respectively, for supporting the struts therebetween, maintaining the struts in user selected positions, and for maintaining the minimum height of the protector net above the deck and the superstructure. The protector net is elevated to the minimum height, which is greater than the length of the longest sea bird""s legs, that a user intends to protect the marine craft from. The protector net has a mesh, which is smaller than the width of the body of the smallest sea bird, that the user intends to protect the marine craft from and entering and landing therethrough. The minimum height and the mesh may vary, depending upon the user""s needs. The sea bird marine craft protector may have a reel for letting out and winding up the protector net.
Beck, U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,131 describes an electric cattle guard formed of first and second elongated mats, said second mat received in an upper face of the first mat. Both mats are formed of a flexible insulating material with the second mat interspersed with electrically conductive particles, fibers or a mixture thereof in an amount sufficient to apply a high voltage, low energy shock to an animal making contact with the second elongated mat when it energized. A conductive strip adapted to make electrical contact with an electric fence energizer is provided at one or both ends of the second elongated mat.
Spooner, U.S. 2002/0092481 describes a method and apparatus for confining animals or livestock and preventing their traverse through a gate. Mats are provided having an insulated substrate holding an electrically conductive medium embedded therein. A power source supplies electrical current to the conductive medium. When the power source is activated, the mats may convey a shock to an animal. The mats are located in a gate passage so as to enable normal operation of the gate while preventing the traverse of livestock or animals within the gated area.
Dressel, EP 0377550 describes a vineyard having conductive trellis wires which extend between poles to provide support for the grape vines. At least some of the trellis wires are grounded. A number of identical bird repelling devices are widely spaced throughout the vineyard. Each has a length much shorter than the distance between adjacent vineyard poles, the length being sufficient to allow a bird to land. The bird repelling devices have a circumference less than approximately one and one-half inch to allow the feet of a bird landing thereon to cover most of its circumference. Each bird repelling device is composed of an elongate insulating member and an electrically conductive rod secured to it. The rod is substantially as long as the elongate insulating member. A high voltage is applied to each electrically conductive rod. Each of the elongate insulating members is secured to a portion of the trellis wires parallel to the trellis wires. A bird landing on a bird repelling device completes a circuit between the trellis wire and the electrically conductive rod carried by that bird repelling device. This shocks the bird without substantially harming it so that the bird flies away. Mounting fixtures mounted on vineyard poles at the ends of rows readily accepts, holds, and automatically makes electrical contact with modified bird repelling devices.
Our prior art search with abstracts described above teaches: an animal training system, an apparatus for discouraging animals from a selected area, a method and apparatus for confining animals, a pest repelling apparatus and methods, a sea bird marine craft protector, an electric cattle guard, a pest bird control, a bird repelling system with improved mounting fixture, and a locking vehicle cover, but does not teach a cover with cross stitching wherein one set of the stitching is at a high voltage while another set of the stitching is at a lower voltage or at ground potential so that touching the cover yields a shock. The present invention fulfill the need for a low cost flexible cover that may be cut to fit around and over objects but maintains its shock producing surface although cut.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The invention is a flexible fabric blanket of plural layers including a bottom insulating layer, a base electrically conductive layer, a medial insulating layer, a medial electrically conductive layer, and a top insulating layer. A first set of electrically conductive stitchings extend between the medial electrically conductive layer, and the top insulating layer and are exposed on an exterior surface of the top insulating layer. A second set of electrically conductive stitchings extend between the base electrically conductive layer, and the top insulating layer and are also exposed on an exterior surface of the top insulating layer, but do not touch the medial electrically conductive layer. The method of preparing the electrified flexible fabric blanket comprises the steps of sewing the first set of electrically conductive stitchings into the medial electrically conductive layer, and the top insulating layer; placing the medial insulating layer against the medial electrically conductive layer, the base electrically conductive layer against the medial insulating layer and the bottom insulating layer against the base electrically conductive layer; sewing the second set of electrically conductive stitchings into the blanket, the second set of stitchings extending from the top insulating layer to the bottom insulating layer and positioned to avoid touching the medial electrically conductive layer; and thereby exposing the first and second set of stitchings in mutual adjacency, but not touching, on the exterior surface of the top insulating layer. When a bird or other animal touches the stitches on the top insulating layer it receives a small electrical shock, or tingle, and is therefore not able to land on this surface. In this manner, the animal is less likely to leave excrement on the surface.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that yields advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of being fabricated at a very low cost.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of providing voltage across stitches placed at any selected spacing.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being cut to fit an application, including having a portion cut out from the fabric, while yet maintaining its electrical potential over all of the remaining outfacing surface.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.